Five Takeaways from Stanford Football's First-Ever ACC Media Day

Dylan Grausz | Aug 1, 2024

Jul 23, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford head coach Troy Taylor answers questions from the media during the ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It is that time of year. The Stanford Cardinal headed to Charlotte, North Carolina on July 23 for their first ever media day as a member of the ACC, where head coach Troy Taylor, linebacker Tristan Sinclair, quarterback Ashton Daniels and wide receiver Elic Ayomanor made themselves available for questions from the press. Here are five takeaways from the event as the Cardinal prepare for the start of the season and their debut campaign as a member of a new conference.

Excitement about the new challenge is high

Dating back to the days of it being called simply the PCC, Stanford has always been a member of the Pacific Coast Conference, whether it was the Pac-8, 10 or 12 and have gotten accustomed to playing teams such as UCLA, USC, Oregon, etc. Now, the opportunity for the program to be a part of the conference realignment and join 16 other teams in the ACC has everyone within the team fired up, excited for the chance to face teams such as Clemson and Syracuse.

“We’re thrilled to be here,” Taylor said. “Unbelievable conference and some great traditions, great coaches, great area of the country and we’re excited about it. It’s also good for us in terms of recruiting. A lot of our roster comes from this side of the country so the opportunity to come out and play here three teams a year on this coast I think is gonna continue to help us in recruiting.”

While it still remains to be seen just how the Cardinal will fare, the energy and excitement that they possess coming in will certainly make things a lot more fun.

Culture is key

Stanford is a prestigious school, known for not only being a very strong athletic institution, but also for being one of the best schools in the country for its education, an area that is taken extreme pride in with the football program.

“Our graduation rate for football players at Stanford is 97%,” Taylor said. “So when they come to Stanford, they’re making a decision to take their future and present, academically, seriously. Our guys go on to do great things and they’re competitive in all aspects. So I’m very proud to be the head coach at Stanford and be able to represent the young men that are the very best in collegiate sports, where they don’t sacrifice being a great player for being a subpar student.”

In an era in which the transfer portal is utilized heavy and the movement of players is constant, the Cardinal have done whatever they can to build a culture that players want to be a part of and stay a part of, not only with getting to play top notch football, but also setting themselves up for a prosperous future.

Cardinal ready to bring the Pac-12 physicality to new conference

The Pac-12 was a tough and scrappy conference, with the teams known for bringing an extra level of physicality whenever they stepped out onto the field. And while the Cardinal know the caliber of teams they will be facing in the next few weeks, they hope that they can put the conference on notice with how physical they play.

“Physicality has always been a main staple of Stanford football,” Daniels said. “We’re taught that since the first day that we get here and then on top of that, our strength staff has done an outstanding job. We come in every single day and we put in so much work. They believe in us [and] they’re making us stronger and faster. Everything we need to do to be able to go out there and just be as physical as we can… I’m excited to see us do that this year.”

The Cardinal have size and as they prepare to head into hostile environments such as Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, one thing that they can take pride in is that they will be ready to fight, compete and give it their all against anybody.

Preserving rivalry with Cal was a big deal

One thing that makes college football so electric are the rivalries, and there is no rivalry quite like Stanford and Cal with Big Game Week being a staple of each and every season. And while Stanford moves to the ACC, so will Cal, and the rivalry will stay alive for the foreseeable future, with the Big Game this year being slated for November 23.

“One of the things that makes college football great are the rivalries that have gone on for a long time,” Taylor said. “So I think it’s important that with realignment and all these things that happen, the rivalries are something that is really important. We’ve got a great relationship and rivalry against Cal just right there in the Bay Area so we’re excited that we were able to come over together.”

In an era with a lot of change and uncertainty within college athletics, getting to preserve a historic rivalry is a major plus. While the conference is different, the environment and the feel should be exactly what we have grown to know and love.

The continuity has been vital

In today’s era of college football, change is constantly happening. But for a school like Stanford which has prestige in both athletics and academics, the advantages of that become evident in addition to having a fairly similar roster of core players, the coaching staff will remain intact heading into 2024, making it easier to focus purely on football heading into training camp.  

“We have a great coaching staff, I want them to be there forever. And then same thing with the players, we want continuity with our players,” Taylor said. “One of the things that drew me to this job at Stanford is that I really feel like we are going to be really an outlier in terms of having a roster where it’s pretty similar from year to year, that there’s not going to be a lot transition, and Stanford is a destination place that you draw a type of student-athlete to the campus and they’re there for hopefully the entire four years.”

Becoming a perennial winner may take time, but having a good culture and providing a good environment to grow and develop as a foundation is a great aspect to build off of as the new era of Stanford football begins.